Rotary explosive-engine.



No. 694,557 Patented Mar.- 4, I902.

- B. F. LEMBKE.-

ROTARY E'XPLOSIVE ENGINE.

(Application filed ram 26, 1901.

2 shets shet I.

(No Model.)

No. 694,557. 'i Paiented Mar. 4, m2.

I c. F. LE-MBKE;

ROTARY EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.

(Application fllefi Jan. 26, 1901.)

(No Modem v 2 Sheets-Sheet}.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. LEMBKE, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

jROTARY:EXPLOS NEENGINE. V p, I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,557, dated March 4, 1902. 7 Application filed January 26,19 1;- Serial No. 44,905. on) model.)

T0 ail whom it mfiyponcerm- Be it known that I, "CHARLES FLLEMBKE, acitizen of the United States, residing atValparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in gas-engines, the object being to provide an explosive-engine orgasolene-motor of improved construction which will be compact and of few parts and in which the piston rotates with the fly or balance wheel to which it is connected. In the construction acircular cylinder is provided which has adjacent to the flywheel an opening or slot into which fits, for the purpose of closing the same,a flange which projects from the fly-wheel, to which flange the piston is secured.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts, -as will be hereinafter set forth, which includes a frame made up to provide a circular cylinder and supports for a balance-wheel, to whichbalan'cefwheel the piston is attached,sliding abutments hav' ing ports, the abutments being operated'from the balance-wheel, and explosion-chambers into which the gas or explosive mixture is showing an engine constructed inaccord with my invention, the cylinder in this instance having a water-jacket. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the engine shown in Fig. 1'. Figs. 3 and 4: are sectional views, the cylinder and frame in'this type of engine being cooled by an induced circulation of air.

The frame of the engine may be cast or otherwise constructed, and the several parts are connected in any suitable manner, so that when set up there will be provided a base which supports the operative or moving parts as well as the stationary parts, which include a cylinder A, having therethrough a continutOn-head A.

drawings, Figure 1 "cate by a slot, as shown.

B on eachv side of the center, and adjacent to the cylinder and communicating therewith are explosion-chambers C, which extend 011 each side of the ways B, in which move the sliding ab utments. Inlet-passages D are provided adjacent to the explosion-chambers, means also being provided to support pumpcylinders E, shafts F, and a central shaft G, upon which is mounted a fly-wheel H. The frame beyond the cylinder has bearings for rock-shafts Land on opposite sides of the abu tments exit-ports K.

' The movable part of the engine consists of the fiy-wheel H,which is keyed on the shaft G, said fly-wheel having a circular flange g, which projects through the continuous slot a through the cylinder ='and closes the same,

suitable packings and mean's'for making a tight joint being provided in practice. To the flange is rigidly secured a piston or pis- The fly-wheel H, beyond the projecting circular flange, has a recess 72,

'shaped'at' opposite points to give the proper throw'to arms '5 2", which are connected to the frock-shaft I, one of the arms having stubs it, which engage the continuous recess h, and as the fly-wheel is turned the arms are rocked 'to impart a reciprocating motion to theabutments or cut-offs L, sothat at the proper time they will intersect the cylinder and establish communication between the explosion-chamber and the cylinder, also controlling the sparking mechanism which ignites the charge. The sliding abutme'nts or cut-offs L have therethrough ports Z-adapted to register with the ports of the explosion-chambers said abutments being connected to arms Z, attached to ;slidesl,which reciprocate in ways B',formed in the main frame parallel with the ways 13 for theabutments,with which they communi- The bar or rod L is connected to the rock-arm t" and to. the slide Z, the rod having a contact-point m, which when moved toward the center contacts with the spring n, which spring is in electric communication with the electrode at,

the other electrode n" being electrically connected with the contact-point m. The igniting device is of such a character that a spark is produced when the contact-point m is moved out of engagement with the spring n,

the circuit being broken when the abutment L intersects the cylinder, and the port thereof is opposite the port of the explosion-chamber. Wires 0 0' are connected at suitable points to the binding-post of the contactspring at and to the frame adjacent to the rock-shaft I, the electrode 71 and bindingpost being insulated from the frame.

The gas-inlet ports Dhave valves d,which are held upon their seats by springs, and the port with the valve e connects the explosionchamber, so that when the pump-piston moves away from the valves the explosive charge is drawn into the cylinders E, and by a reversal of the movement of the piston the charge is compressed in that portion of the explosion-chamb'er on one side of the abutment. The pistons of the pumps are actuated by gear-wheels P P, which mesh with a gearwheel P, mounted on the shaft G adjacent to the hub of the fly-wheel and between said wheel and the cylinder, the gear-wheels P being mounted on shafts F F, which also carry disks F, to which the piston-rods of the pump are attached.

To start the engine, the fiy-wheel may be given a half-turn, which operates the pumps, draws a charge into the pump-cylinder, and forces it into that part of the explosion-chamber to one side of the abutment. A further manual operation of the fiy-wheel reciprocates the abutment so that the port will be in line with the explosion-chamber, permitting an expansion of the explosive charge, the piston then being adjacent to the end of the explosive-chamber. In the meantime the rockarms have almost reached the limit of their movement, and when the charge is ignited it drives the piston beyond the. opposite abutment, the advance movement of the piston driving the burned gases out of the exitports, both being open for the exit of the spent gases until the piston passes the explosion chambers. After the engine is once started it is automatic in operation.

Incident to the construction shown the gearwheels which operate the pump are located between the fly-wheel and cylinder, so as to be partially incased or protected, which obviates an element of danger incident to that style of gearing. The abutments are actu atcd directly from the fiy-wheel, and the piston being connected to the fly-wheel the driving force is expended directly thereon and a long leverage is secured. The fly-wheel having a flange which travels with the piston and engages the cylinder prevents excessive vibrations and insures uniformity of motion.

It will be noted that the moving parts are reduced to a minimum and are solidly connected as near as possible to the center of the frame. In the construction shown the charge is not permitted to expand until the piston has practically reached the point where the explosion will be 'most effective thereon, and that the abutments or cut-offs, owing to the curvature or pitch of the recess in the flywheel, move quickly to open and close the ports and cylinder, and that there is no liability of disarrangement of the operating parts.

In practice it is desirable that means be provided for keeping the engine cool, and this may be effected by a circulation of water in a chamber which incloses the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which instance a water-jacket R, having an inlet-port R and an exit-port R is provided. In many types of engines I prefer to provide the cylinder, with heat-radiating rings a as shown in Fig. 3, and the web or wall A of the casting with perforations (1 When such construction is employed, I attach to the arms of the fly-wheel H vanes or blades 11, which cause a circulation of air through the perforations and about the cylinder.

The improvements which I have described may be modified and the arrangement varied without departing from my invention. For instance, any suitable type of sparking or igniting device may be employed, operating either with an open or closed circuit, the engine may be made with a single abutment, and a single pump, or the number of the abutments and pumps may be increased beyond what is shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, an explosive-charm her which communicates with a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a wheel to which the piston is directly connected, an abutment having a solid portion which intersects the cylinder and explosion-chamber, a port through the abutment which establishes communication between the explosion-chamber and the cylinder and means for actuating the abutment, substantially as shown.

2. In a rotary engine,- the combination of an annular piston-passage, a piston operating therein, a balance-wheel to which the piston is connected, ways which intersect the pistonpassage, abutments operating in the ways,- explosion-chambers intersected by the way for the abutments, the abutments each having a solid portion and adjacent thereto a port and means for alternately reciprocating the abutments so that when the solid portions thereof intersect the piston-passage the port will establish communication between the explosion-chamber and the piston-passage, substantially as shown.

3. In a rotary gas-engine, the combination of a circular cylinder having through one side a continuous opening or slot, a wheel having a flange which closes the slot, a piston'head attached to the wheel, reciprocating abutments which intersect the piston-passage, explosion chambers which communicate with the piston-passage and are intersected by the abutments, pumps for forcing the explosive mixture into the explosion-chamber, the abutments having ports which are positioned in line with the explosion-chambers when the IIO ends of said abutments intersect thepiston;

passage, and means for igniting the explosive mixture when the ports of the'abutments are on aline With'the explosive-"chambers, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth. i

4. In a gas or explosive engine, the combination with a circular cylinder, of a wheel to which a piston-head is connected, said piston head operating in the cy1inder,'th e Wheel hav- 1ng a groove or recess which is partly concentrio and partiallyeccentric to its periphery," abutments connected to rock-shaftshaving arms which engage the groove and'aotuate the abutments, the abutments having solid portions and ports, valved'inlet-openings for the explosive mixture; pumps actuated to i draw the explosive mixture into the same and force it into an explosion-chamber, the ex plosion-chamber communicating with the cyl-' inder when the abutm'ents intersect said cylinder, and an igniting device in the explosionchamber, substantially" as shown and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a rotary gas or'explosive engine, the

combination or an" annular piston-passage a continuous slot or opening communicating therewith, a balanee-wheel having a fi ange for closing' the slot and a'piston carried by said wheel which moves in the piston-passage,

waysfor reciprocatingabutments which extend from one side of the piston-passage to the other side, explosion-chambers communicatin'gwith the piston-passage said chambers being intersected by the abutments, pumps for'forcing an. explosive mixture into theexplosive-chambers, reciprocating abutments having solid-portions which intersect the piston-'passageand port's through the abutments nesses.

' CHARLES F. LEMBKE.

Witnesses; I v

'HANnIBAL H. LOR ING,

HENRY HJROWE. 

